2019 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

SCHOLARSHIP Update and request2020 Applications will be accepted in April 2020, If you know any woman currently attending either a technical, community, or four-year college, PLEASE urge them to contact me so I can send them a scholarship application or forward them the newsletter. As long as their belief system exemplifies conservative values with efforts to be involved in their community, they don't have to be actively involved in a Republican organization, but they MUST be residents of Pierce County. An application is attached above. The committee will be evaluating the applications the 2nd week of May based on a scoring system.Please don't hesitate to call me or email me if you have any questions. lesliegwatts@yahoo.com (253) 380-4290.

Named Young America Foundation's Top Student Activist for 2016, Emily truly exemplifies the dream we have to watch young Republican women getting involved in politics. At age 20, Emily has experienced more involvement than most women will in their lifetime, since her interest in politics started at age 13. A 3.5 Economics major at Liberty University, Emily wants to apply her bold courageous leadership throughout her college experience and then hopefully work at a political think-tank in Washington DC and perhaps become a Fox News contributor. Her political involvement started in high school when she was selected to attend the Ronald Reagan Ranch High School Conference, Young America Foundation’s National High School Leadership Conference, and the National Conservative Student Conference. As a Running Start student at Pierce, she was President and founder of the YAF Chapter on campus, where she organized a Pro-Life Memorial. Continuing her involvement as Vice President of YAF at Liberty University, Emily organized and hosted Dinesh D'Souza for over 300 students. For 2016, she has successfully booked Steve Forbes and conservative activist, Star Parker. Emily was unable to attend our May 25th luncheon since she is currently interning at the National Journalism Center in Washington DC. The spirit of Betty Jo Neils continues in outstanding young women like Emily. Her mother, Michelle, accepted the scholarship award on her behalf - and we are planning to invite LRW members to an informal lunch to meet Emily when she comes home in August.

On January 25, 2015 we were please to receive a handwritten note from a former recipient of the Betty Jo Neil scholarship fund, Rachel Murphy.She wrote,Dear Lakewood Republican Women, Just over 4 years ago you awarded me your Betty Jo Neils Scholarship I want to thank you so much for investing in me! I just graduated this December with a Bachelor of Arts from Seattle Pacific University & Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington. I competed on SPU’s women’s NCAA DII varsity crew, explored Rome’s arts & architecture on a study-abroad trip, enjoyed a constitutional law class, worked on a research projects at the Rochester Institute of Technology in NY, one summer and at UW another, instructed a lab class on using Solid Works (a 3D modeling program) completed an undergraduate thesis as a part of SPU’s honors program (my topic involved examining how patent law works), & graduated debt-free. Plus, I’m now employed! Thank you so much for your help making my college experience possible.” Sincerely, Rachel Murphy Steilacoom HS Class of 2010